FazTimes Media – Users of well-known UPI-based apps like Google Pay (GPay), PhonePe, and others will notice big changes in how they give and receive money on October 1, 2025. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has chosen to end the "payment request" or "collect request" feature that lets people ask friends or coworkers to send them money. A lot of people use this feature every day.

BBC News said that this change is being made because hackers have been using this feature to trick more and more people, which leads to fraud. UPI is one of India's biggest digital payment successes, but hackers are now after it due to its rapid growth. They take advantage of people's trust and lack of knowledge to get what they want.

What is changing?

You can now use the P2P "collect request" feature to ask someone to send you money by saying "please pay me". That person can then confirm the payment by entering their UPI PIN. This function has helped with splitting restaurant bills, getting money for events, and even asking for rent to be paid.

For personal transactions on GPay, PhonePe, Paytm UPI, and any other app that is part of the NPCI UPI network, this function will no longer work after October 1.

From now on, the person sending the money will have to use choices like

Reading a QR code
Putting in the UPI ID for the receiver
Picking out the person in the payment app
Please tell me why NPCI is getting rid of this feature.

Al Jazeera says that safety is the main reason. In the past few years, scammers have sent several "collect requests" while claiming to be real sellers, delivery people, or even friends who need help.

This is how most of these scams work:

The Setup: The con artist gets in touch with the target through a social media site, WhatsApp, or an online market.
The Bait: They say they owe the victim money or ask them to make a small payment as proof.
The Scam: Instead of sending money, the con artist sends a "collect request" that the victim needs to agree to.
The Loss: The victim's money is sent from their account to the scammer's account when they enter their UPI PIN.

Reports of fraud kept coming in even after NPCI set a daily limit and dropped the per-transaction limit to ₹2,000. With the number of online payments at an all-time high, NPCI decided that the safest thing to do would be to take away this tool for all personal transactions.

Is it appropriate for anyone to request money?

The answer is no. You can still make merchant collection requests, which are used to pay for things on sites like Flipkart, Amazon, Swiggy, Zomato, IRCTC, and websites for utilities.

These requests are different because they are made automatically by trusted merchants. Users still need to enter their UPI PIN to accept the payment. NPCI thinks that this controlled setting is a lot safer than requests made in person.

What will this mean for real people?

A lot of Indians, like college students, small business owners, and gig workers, liked the collect request tool because it was quick and easy to get paid.

They will have to change how they pay in October:

You will no longer be able to just tap "request money". Instead, you will need to share your UPI ID or show your QR code so the sender can begin the payment.
This means you may need to call, text, or share your payment information with the person paying instead of just sharing a quick in-app request.
To split a cab fare or a dinner bill, for example, each person will have to send their share instead of replying to a single request link.

People may not like these changes, but experts in digital payment protection say it's worth it to keep people from losing money.

Let's Take a Closer Look

Ritika Sharma, a marketing worker from Mumbai who is 26 years old, says, "I use GPay almost every day to ask my roommates for money to pay bills and buy food." Sending my UPI ID to my roommates repeatedly will be a hassle. After hearing about the scam cases, I can see why they would do that.

Small business owners also feel the impact. As Imran Khan, who runs a tea stand in Bhopal, puts it, "Some customers use the request option to pay me later." Now I'm going to print my QR code and put it on my booth. It takes extra work, but it's better than getting scammed.

Safety First: Tips from Experts for UPI Users

UPI fraud can still happen with phishing links, fake QR codes, or impersonation. This is true even though this tool is no longer available.

Rajeev Sinha, a cybersecurity expert, suggests:

Do not let anyone else know your UPI PIN.
Before giving money, make sure you know who it's going to.
Use approved apps that you purchase from a reliable store, like the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.
For your UPI apps, turn on the app lock or biometric identification.
Regularly look over your transaction history to find any strange behaviours.
The NPCI also tells people to report theft right away to their bank and the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal.

UPI's Continued Changes

Since its launch in 2016, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) has revolutionised the Indian payment landscape.

The NPCI says that UPI handled well over 14 billion transactions worth more than 21 lakh crore in July 2025 alone.

But with so many people using it, it can be hard to keep the system safe. NPCI has added several protection measures over the years, including:

The system now limits the number of transactions for specific types of funds.
Putting in extra time between transactions for new payees.
We are collaborating with banks to monitor any suspicious trends.
Starting efforts to make people aware of fraud.

This ongoing change in security has reached a new level with the removal of the P2P collect request tool.

A Look Ahead

Some people in the business world think that NPCI might bring back the request feature one day, but this time, they'll do it in a better way. For example, they could use your face, your voice, or the need for two forms of approval to make sure you are who you say you are.

The most important goal at this moment is to address the ongoing problems. India is seeing a rise in digital payments. For UPI to succeed, it is critical that these payments are safe and known. This change in October will feel a little different for many people. But safety experts say it's worth the extra time to make a payment because it will keep your money safe.

To sum up:

All UPI apps, including GPay, PhonePe, Paytm, and others, will stop letting people request to receive money from other people on October 1, 2025. This is because fraud is still a risk. You can still ask a merchant to give you money, but now the sender has to start all personal transfers themselves. People who use this service may have to change how they pay for things, but the NPCI and security experts say this shift is needed to protect India's growing digital payment system.

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